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Pizza Roll Crusties

Many months ago I got an email from Betsy’s sister-in-law asking for a favor for the next time we saw them.

Her request:

“In college, we had these things call Chanceys Crusties that were amazing and delicious and awesome (also possibly laced with something because they were amazingly addictive). Chancey’s has since closed so you can’t get them anymore. Will you make them for me?”

I’m always happy to help making long lost treats. There were a few versions of these on the internet, but I kind of made it my own, especially the filling.

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If you’re wondering where the name “Crusties” comes from it’s because as these bake, some of the cheese filling actually comes out of the roll, browns on the baking sheet, and turns into crispy little cheese bits.

60 comments on “Pizza Roll Crusties”

Oh wow…It has been over 20 years since I graduated from Radford University and I remember ordering these after midnight to my dorm. It was long gone when I went back to see the campus. These were a staple in my diet at college. I gained my freshman 15 with these. Thanks Chancey’s! Can’t wait to make them. I appreciate the recipe.

I haven’t heard of these ones specifically, but many bakeries here make similar treats, called scrolls, twists or twirls. They have fillings like ham & cheese, garlic, caramelised onion… you can even get a Vegemite & cheese one!
I’ve also made homemade ones: wholemeal pizza dough, pesto, cheese, semi dried tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, etc. They are delicious even if I do say so myself ;-)

Did her sister in law go to Radford?! I remember ordering Chancey’s crusties my freshman & sophmore year of college. They were amazing, especially the buffalo chicken ones dipped in the homemade ranch dressing. Thanks for sharing this post! Brings back great memories!

Mary was the nice lady who owned the business with her husband. The year it closed they decided it wasn’t worth the drama/late nights anymore. And it was her turn for a business of her choosing (he having been the one to choose Chancey’s as the business they currently had).

As Rob said below, the owner of the building itself. Ruled an ‘electrical fire’ when all utilities had been shut off for 4 months [including to the transformers outside, it was to be bought and knocked down when the deal stalled], and major appliances had all been sold to surrounding restaurants.

I know the owners, and they most definitely didnt burn it down. I drive by the building twice a day. It’s hard to have a business in a college town… During summer and winter breaks its a ghost town here. They just weren’t making enough profit. That’s all. No insurance fraud, no fires

I remember chanceys! They closed the year I moved down here but I got to try them the year before at quadfest! Highlanders pizza actually makes amazing “highlander rolls” that are the same idea as crustys :) my husband and I live in christiansburg and order the rolls occasionally– and yes, ranch is a MUST.

Never made anything like these, but when I make cinnamon rolls, I find that using a piece of unflavored floss to cut the roll into slices works perfectly. You wrap around and tie it. It’s pretty even pressure all around. I always squished them too much with a knife. I can’t imagine it matters much for drunk late night food like crusties, but thought I’d share that tip I picked up somewhere. I’ve eaten plenty of pizza with ranch (don’t judge!) so I imagine I’d enjoy these just fine!

Look up on FB I love Chancey’s Chrusties at Radford University . You will find Mary’s recipe. Radford University also has a cookbok with her recipe or a loose version of it. Their Ranch is key too. The Chrusties are easy to make. You just have to adjust them a bit. The true/loose version is from Mary on the FB. Dough, Seasoning, and Cheese truly make a difference. Just search a bit on the interwebz and you will find it.

We would order a bucket of crusties . The only thing I remember from Radford is the message you would get if Chanceys couldn’t answer their phone. In a southern voice…..Chanceys line is currently busy. So we hang up and dial back like 50 times. Got a ride home once from the Chanceys driver bc he was making a delivery Lawrence street. I have bought dough from trader joes and I hear lite house ranch is the closest to Chanceys ranch.

An RU grad myself 90-94…I don’t remember much of my education, all the parties save a few have all blended into one giant 4 year long party. But I distinctly remember, and can almost taste, Chancey’s Crusties. They are a legend in their own right. But you had to get the order in by midnight on the weekends to ensure they arrived before 3am or there was virtually no chance of getting an order in. I remember being at parties and someone yelling “did anyone order crusties yet? Christ…its midnight…who ordered the damn crusties?…..” followed by a collective noise of sighs and cursing as someone went crashing through the house looking for the phone.

I only found out about a year or two ago that it had closed. Thanks for the updates Allen. Thanks everyone for the memories.

(I also distinctly remember walking from Hunters Ridge back to Draper Hall in the dead of winter at 3am once…that sucked)

I live in Radford Va and miss Chancy’s from my college days… my favorite was bacon cheese burger! I make them almost exactly like this. I do one thing differently to get that addictive cheese, topping, dough, grease crust that had us hooked in college. I bake the whole batch in one long roll and then I cut them into individual rolls and fry them topping side down on a lightly oiled flat grill or frying pan for about 30 seconds per side.

I helped develop the original crusties recipe with Mary. This recipe should be pretty close, but we never put melted butter or red pepper flakes in ours. Just garlic powder, Italian seasoning, heavy on provolone cheese, light on mozzarella. Could also serve these with marinara sauce. Mary’s posted recipe calls for Bridgeford bread dough, but I prefer to use a pizza dough, so I will try out this recipe.

Just to clarify………….I sold the Chancey Building and leased the building to the owner. He did not make a go of the business and Chancey’s closed. Eventually I sold the building and the night before the documents were signed, the building burned down. The cause of the fire was a
short in the hot water heater. The one breaker that was left on for the need lights was also the
breaker that turned on the hot water heater. No insurance fraud! Eventually I sold the burned
down structure and supposedly the building will be torn down and a parking lot will be there.
Glad everyone continues to enjoy the memories of Chancey’s and of Chrusties. I live in California now and have an H & R Block Franchise. Best wishes.

Currently the building is still there, over grown trees and weeds cover it. I’m sure it will be a parking lot soon, unfortunately. Highlander’s Pizza makes their own version of Crusties, and they are pretty good, but nothing like the originals!

This is exciting. I was the crusty cook on Thirsdays and Saturdays till 3:00 a.m. I did this from 1995 through first half 1998. I noticed in your recipe you added a pinch of sugar. I would do that when I baked my own, otherwise the original recipe did not have sugar. At the beginning of my tenure there I made the dough and rolls and then later I picked up delivery shifts, but I was always a late night crusty cook.

You rock Charles! I graduated in December of 1995 and crusties were always perfect all the time. I have tried to make these on my own but failed to make them the way I remember. I will definitely try this recipe and Mary’s original. My daughter is going to college in two years and we visited Radford and I was so disappointed they were closed down. I wish a big chain like Papa Johns or Pizza Hut would make these. I would buy them all the time. They were the best pizza product out there. We never ordered anywhere else and I worked at Papa John’s part time when I went to Radford, if that tells you any thing. My family used to make me bring a bucket home to Richmond when I came home and we would reheat them. They were so good!!!

The owners of The Yellow Submarine in Nags Head, NC are RU alum and have perfected this recipe. They call them rip curls, and they are the most accurate recreation of this recipe I’ve had. They are my first stop every time I go to the beach!

This is good to know. I went to RU and vacation in the OBX. I have a nephew going to RU today and I so wish he could experience crusties. Late night staple of every party goer at Radford. Cant’s wait to try Yellow Submarine”s or make my own. Love this post.

I graduated from Radford in 07 and loved eating Crusties! The best was after working at Joes from 10pm to 4 am I would get home and all the drunk people would have a few left over! Such great memories☺

I was fortunate to live on the 1st floor of Muse Hall 20 years ago and these bad boys aroma would draw me in right through Chancey’s front door like a magnet! I ate these with marinara sauce and they were a must on any occasion! Thanks for the receipe!

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